Fitzpatrick Group Debuts Second Midtown Property

<B> Fitzpatrick Group Debuts Second Midtown Property</B>

By Frank Rosci

The Fitzpatrick Family Group of Hotels, based in Dublin, will open its second luxury New York City property, the 155-room Fitzpatrick Grand Central, in June.

Following a $27 million restoration of an office building at 141 East 44th St., the Irish hotel company will convert the facility into a state-of-the-art business hotel, offering a full range of corporate amenities, including Internet access, in-room fax machines, two-line telephones with voice mail, dataports and ISDN lines. Reflecting an Irish theme, the hotel is being furnished with green carpeting, artwork by famous Irish artists and a traditional Irish pub.

"With high occupancy rates and many sold-out nights at our first New York hotel--the Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel, which opened in 1991--this is an exceptional opportunity for us to more than double our size in New York," said John Fitzpatrick, CEO of Fitzpatrick North America.

The property's rooms and various suites also will include 24-hour room service, free continental breakfast served in the lounge, in-room coffee maker with free coffee and tea, use of a local health and fitness center, concierge service, available Cadillac car service, hair dryer, mini-bar with free Irish spring water and video checkout.

The 92-room Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel, meanwhile, offers similar amenities plus computer and cellular phone rentals, in-room voice mail, dataports, fax machines, weekday newspaper delivery, VCRs on request and direct in-room phone connections to Aer Lingus.

Published room rates at both properties start at $265.